Career and Employment Services

A cover letter is a unique way you can create an image of yourself. It will highlight the value, qualifications, and strengths you bring to the targeted or specific position. Students may obtain a cover letter review by contacting the Career and Employment Services Specialist.

Cover Letter Tips:

• Display professional, error-free writing.
• Use a variety of words including action verbs, descriptive adjectives, and adverbs.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm in the position and field of work.
• Tell your story in a concise way.
• Use top highlights from your resume that positively market your qualifications and skills in the field.

Cover Letter Examples:

• Cover Letter Example 1
• Cover Letter Example 2
• Job Search Handbook

• Career Builder
• CareerOneStop
• Indeed
• Job Center of Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Job Network
• Wisconsin State Government Jobs

Employer Tips on how students can be successful in the workplace

The Goodwill Cares Community Assistance Program strives to provide a “hand up” to support individuals with emergency needs during trying times. If you need professional clothing or interview attire, please follow the referral process.

Contact Michele Sabel at msabel@morainepark.edu to request an application. Once submitted to and approved by Goodwill, you will be able to go to a Goodwill store to select your items. Please note it may take up to 10 business days for Goodwill to approve after the application is received.

Handshake is the career network for the AI economy. As the only three-sided job marketplace connecting 20 million knowledge workers, 1,500+ educational institutions, and 1 million employers, Handshake powers career discovery, hiring, and upskilling—from first internships to full-time roles, freelance work to gig work, and beyond. The platform combines dynamic profiles, intelligent job matching, and interactive skill-building to connect talent with opportunity and help the workforce stay ahead in the AI economy.

How it works:

• Get suggestions for jobs and opportunities based on your profile, interests, and where you are in your career.
• Grow your career with posts, videos, and articles from people who’ve done it before.
• Meet with employers face-to-face at in-person and virtual career fairs, networking sessions, resume workshops, and more.
• Find and connect with a network of peers, mentors, and thought leaders to get career support.

Learn more at joinhandshake.com

If you’re a current student, login to Handshake below. If you’re an alumni, you will need to create an account to get started.

Internships are a valuable way to get practical work experience in your field of study. They can be paid or unpaid depending on the employer. Many times interns are hired on permanently after the experience concludes. Employers are open to working with the faculty to ensure college credit is given to students.

Moraine Park internships are directly coordinated through the academic department for your program area. Please reach out to your program instructor or academic advisor for more information.

Internship Resources:

• Handshake
• Internship Draft Day
• WisConnect

Moraine Park Technical College strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students, staff and the larger community – building a comprehensive workforce in an accessible and caring learning environment. We offer great benefits for our employees in a team-based environment.

Networking is the action or process of making personal and professional connections. There are no straight lines in networking. Think of it as relationship building and maintaining.

Your career network should include anyone who can assist you with a job search or career move. Networking is the preferred way employers hire. It is cheaper than posting a job online and the employer receives higher quality job candidates.

Ways to Expand your Network:

• Career Fairs
• Company Tours
• Informational Interviewing
• Internships
• Job Shadowing
• Professional Organizations
• Student Clubs
• Volunteer Organizations

During On Campus Recruitment, employers visit one of our three campus locations to meet with students about open positions within their company. Employers will be set-up at a table near the cafeteria entrance between 11 am – 1 pm. Students may stop by the table to learn more about the employer and find out about their available internships/job openings. The employer may conduct interviews, so bringing a resume along is highly recommended.

Advantages of On Campus Recruitment:

• Career and Employment Services brings the employers to you.
• Career and Employment Services coordinates the entire event; you just need to stop in and chat with the employer.
• The event is offered during the lunch hour; not conflicting with your school schedule.
• Employers participating in on campus recruitments want to fill their positions with Moraine Park students.

Preparing references may seem like a far less important task in your job search compared to networking, writing your resume, or interviewing. However, having good references is a crucial part of the job search process.

Reference Tips:

• Choose three to five references who can talk positively about your work quality, skills, and accomplishments. Use present or past co-workers or supervisors, instructors, co-members of volunteer activities, etc.
• Be sure to ask prospective references for permission to use them as a reference. Reconnect with them if an extended period of time has elapsed.
• Collect all contact information from each reference. Get the correct spelling of the references’ names, their phone numbers, and email addresses.
• Make sure the individuals you select to be your references are reliable. If even one of your references do not follow through (e.g. return a phone call or complete a reference survey), you may not move forward in the interview process.
• Do not list references on your resume; give only when requested.
• When it comes time for the interview, make sure to bring a separate reference page with you inside the portfolio.

• Reference Example
• Student Employment Reference Form

The resume is a strategic marketing document with the purpose of moving an employer to invite you to interview. A well written resume will give the employer information allowing them to make that decision. It’s a formal, organized summary of your skills, education, and job-related experiences. Students may obtain a resume review by contacting the Career and Employment Services Specialist.

Resume Tips:

• Professional document, customized to fit a specific position.
• Easy-to-read and error-free.
• Use consistent headings and dates.
• Include a section on: header, skills or summary, education, and experience.
• Other relevant sections include: leadership, awards, and volunteer experience.
• Enhance with career field keywords.
• Keep to one page if possible, clearly organized by section.
• Save as a PDF for easy emailing/attaching.
• Print on one side of the sheet only; using quality resume paper.

Resume Examples:

• Resume Example 1
• Resume Example 2
• Job Search Handbook

Before you begin talking about pay or negotiating salary with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job is worth. Start by researching salaries so that you are prepared to get a job offer that’s reasonable.

Once you have done the research, how do you go about getting the job? Patience is the key. When interviewing for a new position, try your best not to bring up compensation until the employer makes you an offer. If you’re asked what your salary requirements are, say that they are based upon the position and the overall compensation package. Or you may tell the employer you would like to know more about the responsibilities and challenges of the job. Another option would be to give the employer a salary range based upon the research that you did up front. Once you receive an offer, take some time to think it over. Most offers include an expiration or respond by date. It is essential to respond back within this timeframe.

Salary Information

• Moraine Park’s Graduate Outcome Report 2023-2024
• Salary.com
• Top Salaries by Degree 2023-2024
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook